I’m grateful that I spent Day 99 in my hometown, celebrating the Cooee Festival, which commemorates the World War One recruitment march from Gilgandra to Sydney in 1915. In 1987 my dad was one of a group of men who re-enacted the march, from Gilgandra to Sydney, marching for 3 weeks.
I’m grateful for the reminders of those who have gone before, sacrificing all for our freedom. I was grateful to stand today and sing the National Anthem, and to see Ethan marching with Lyndon, along with others dressed as 1915 recruits. When they play the bugle, “The Last Post” and say “from the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them. Lest we forget” I get tears in my eyes. Every time.
In the Cooee Museum there are displays relating to the town’s history, and one of the models is dressed in my grandmothers (Dad’s mum) uniform from WW2. (She’s is nearly 95 now) The photo’s not good due to the reflection on the display case, but you get the idea.
Ethan interviewed Grandma a couple of years ago about her role in the Women’s airforce, so I’ll link it here for those interested. It’s pretty cool, a 7 year old interviewing a 92 year old about her life.
In other news today, Lyndon came third in the Cooee Calling Competition (the judges are on one side of the river, the contestants on the other, calling out the bush call “Cooooo-ee!” as loudly as they can), so he won $50, then Ethan, aged 9, feeling that he’d outgrown the kids cooee calling, entered the 11 – 15 year olds competition, and won with flying colours, winning $30, so he’s very excited and we’re all grateful for a wonderful day!
Day 100 tomorrow – gosh it’s gone fast. I’m hoping to find some friends in town, not already booked up with Long Weekend activities, to come for a BBQ. Who’s free?
Cheering you on,
Love Kerrie
I’m grateful for a walk along the river today! As we were driving home, along a road I’ve travelled countless times, I asked Lyndon to pull over so we could go for a walk and see the river closer up. The Castlereagh River in Gilgandra is one of the fastest flowing rivers in Australia, when it’s in flood. Most of the time, the majority of the water flows under the river bed, through the sand. Today it was somewhere in between. If it was a warmer day we’d be tempted to jump in, but were happy to sit and watch the reflections on the water, the logs that have been sat on a million times, judging by the smoothness of the wood in all the right places. I’m grateful for a place to sit and consider how grateful I am for my childhood years of playing in the great outdoors, and a place to make a decision to create more of these opportunities with my family.